timeless authentic photographs

Pam Cooley is based in Peoria, Illinois and specializes in Wedding and Portrait photography. Covering local & destination weddings, maternity and families.

Timeless aesthetic and genuine emotion are the hallmarks of Pam’s work. Known for her authentic imagery, Pam takes a lighthearted, enthusiastic approach, that captures the beauty and connection of her subjects.

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testimonials

" I am still stunned at the magic she can do with a camera

If you throw on a garbage bag, Pam will make it look like a Vera Wang. If you love to laugh, Pam will have you smiling bigger than any Crest commercial. Conversely, I have steamy photos that are perfectly situated on my nightstand for my hubby to admire. I am still stunned at the magic she can do with a camera and I completely forgot that she was taking pictures of me. I felt sexy, beautiful, happy, and everything else you would hope to feel on your wedding day. How am I supposed to go back to posting normal peasant selfies after her gems?!? If you don’t book Pam, you’re a fool. Search her on IG for proof of her excellence.

- k + b

"

Pam is truly a one of a kind person and photographer. Her past work speaks for itself as all of her photos are stunning. Her ability to connect with people through email is impressive and even more strong in person. When we first met Pam for our engagement shoot the second we stepped out of the car it felt as though we’ve known her our whole lives. Pam made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and is a blast to work with. She was so helpful in providing outfit suggestions for our engagement shoot as well as our day after wedding shoot and created a timeline for our wedding that made everything run so smoothly. Pam traveled to our destination wedding in the smokies and had excellent ideas of where to shoot different photos. My wedding party had so much fun working with her as well. We couldn’t imagine our wedding experience without Pam. We love you Pam!

- c + c

"

I could go on and on with words to describe Pam as a photographer and as a person! She was the perfect fit for our wedding. She is the type of person you meet once and feel like you've known her for years. Our engagement shoot was the first taste of what an amazing photographer she was. We had to reschedule multiple times due to weather issues, and she was extremely flexible and go with the flow! When we finally got around to doing the shoot, both my husband and I were a little nervous we would look/be awkward in front of the camera. Pam literally makes you feel like a million bucks. She is so fun and spunky and her commentary helps you relax, have fun, and just love on each other. The wedding was no different. A few days before the wedding, she spent time on the phone with me (probably a good 45 minutes) walking through the plan and putting my mind at ease. I had a lot of different ideas about where I wanted photos and she helped me simplify and gave me confidence in our choices! She also has such an eye for creative places that I knew I could trust her judgement (which is sometimes hard for me being such a planner!). Lastly the photos. They were just absolutely breathtaking. They completely captured every little aspect of our wedding and we will truly treasure them forever. Overall, I can't say enough great things about Pam. You will want her energetic spirit and easy-going nature around on a day as crazy as your wedding!

- m + d

"

Since we first met Pam, she has been a joy to work with. Coming to our engagement session we were very nervous as we didn't often show affection in front of anyone, let alone a stranger. She instantly made us feel at ease and had us laughing the entire time. Her constant words of affirmation were so encouraging and she made us feel like naturals. After that, we were completely ready for our wedding and, thankfully, not the least bit nervous. Having her there was so comforting to us, knowing that every important moment would be captured; and she knew exactly what we wanted. Each time she gave us the photos back incredibly fast for the amount of photos that were taken, and the amount of time it must have taken to edit. She is always easy to get a hold of and has become a great friend to us. We can't wait to take family photos with her in the years to come. It is so fantastic to know we found a lifelong photographer and not just a "day of" photographer. To top it off, I personally met with her to do an outside boudoir shoot and woah!!! I was blown away at the photos and how comfortable she made me feel. Pam you rock! We love you!

- a + j

"

There aren’t enough positive things to say about Pam Cooley Photography! Wedding planning is overwhelming, but the second we booked with Pam, we knew our photography was completely under control. We weren’t even 20 minutes into our engagement session before my fiancé (at the time) whispered to me that he wanted to book her officially for the wedding!.. And he was the nervous one! She made our engagement session so easy and nerve free and welcomed our two dogs like they were her own! Her PHOTOS speak for themselves! So dreamy and amazing!... Pam even took it upon herself to create a timeline to follow since I wasn’t the best bride at all of the details!... THEN! The wedding day. Holy smokes! She was so easy going, welcomed our crazy family AND gave us direction when we needed it. What more could you ask for?! The best part?! We didn’t spend hours upon hours doing awkward poses or making our friends and family take loads of pictures.. We got what we needed quickly and they are AMAZING! We found ourselves stalking her FB/IG page for sneak peeks and drooling over all of them! And we got our pictures SO FAST!... I would recommend Pam Cooley ten times over for engagement/wedding/anything!

- j + s

"

Pam was the best decision I've ever made! I spent countless hours researching wedding photographers. I actually found Pam through an Instagram hashtag. I fell in love with her work. I connected with her and she was easy to work with. She made me and my husband feel so comfortable behind the camera and on the most important day of our lives. Pam is the best wedding photographer out there. We got so many compliments on our pictures and still continue to. Pam is now our photographer for life, and also a friend. Take it from me, you'll want Pam by your side on the most important day of your life!